Gift ideas for girls

Can you believe that it's nearly Christmas?! I don't know how that happened, but it does mean that it is time for...presents!

I've always found buying gifts really quite difficult, and often I just turned to gift cards. I've since discovered a few tips and tricks that have allowed me to come up with presents that I am really happy to give, and most of the time they are really well received.

My main tip is to pick out all the things you know about them - their interests, hobbies, collections, even down to things like their favourite colour or foods. This way you can get them a gift that is perfectly tailored to their taste. This may seem like a pretty obvious thing to do but for a while there I just bought things that I thought I would like to receive as a present or things that could be found in gift stores.

Which brings me to another point - steer clear of gift stores. Most of the time the presents that can be found in gift stores are super generic and often just clutter that few people would actually want. When buying a present, think about if someone would actually spend their own money on it. Would you really pay for a fake-diamond encrusted pen for twenty bucks? Would you pay thirty bucks for that glass photo frame that is not particularly spectacular?

Another tip is to buddy up with another friend or a couple of friends and buy them a gift that they would absolutely love but wouldn't purchase themselves because it is a little pricier than they had hoped. You might pool some money together to get a lovely perfume or piece of expensive jewellery that you know your friend has had their eye on for a long time but could never justify splashing out for.

My last tip is to really consider the way you display a gift, because that can make such a difference. Even just a creative display (like the jewellery gift I made for my friend shown below) or wrapped up with both wrapping paper and a bow can make the world of difference.

This post has taken me a long time to make because I have included all the presents I have gotten for some of my friends over the entire year! If they see this post, they will be able to spot their present!

For the girl who loves...jewellery

Jewellery makes an amazing gift because there are so many styles out there, if you know what your friend likes then you can get them something they will be sure to love. In terms of presentation, I went to Typo and purchased this wooden letter and then draped the jewellery over it and I think it adds a lovely personalised touch.

For the girl who loves...makeup

Being the makeup loving girl that I am, the idea of buying makeup for a friend's gift is terribly exciting, but if you don't know what someone already owns or you yourself aren't really the makeup-type then I imagine it might be quite daunting when faced with an endless aisle of crazy looking products.

Nail polishes are always a good choice, you can't really go wrong with a simple pink polish! Glitter polishes are also fun, and the good thing is that if your friend isn't a huge fan of one of the polishes you picked, it is no big loss because you didn't fork out a fortune for it. Little perfumes are really lovely, as are simple lip products like the Revlon Lip Butters. Inglot has an amazing system whereby you can make your own eyeshadow palettes (the empty palette is about $12, each shadow is $10) which I think is an amazing gift for a makeup loving girl!

A lovely way to present the gift is by purchasing a small makeup bag to put the present in!

For the girl who loves...beauty/body products

I honestly can't rave enough about Lush when it comes to presents for the beauty loving girl. Whilst it can be a little pricey at times, it has some gorgeous gift sets at really affordable prices. As you can see, the gift sets are wrapped up beautifully, and if you want you can add another product here and there like I did on top.

For the girl who loves...books

First of all, I may be a little biased but a girl who asks for books has excellent taste! I think books make wonderful presents (especially if you fill in the empty page at the front of the book with a little message) and can be really affordable if you get them from the right places. The Book Despository is absolutely amazing for affordable books and postage is completely free all over the world (I know right?!). Dressed up with a ribbon, books make beautiful presents.

For the girl who loves music
If you are buying a gift for someone who loves music, there are SO many opportunities to purchase them something that they will love. If you know exactly what type of music they like, buy them a CD. If they have a favourite band, merchandise (like posters, wristbands and clothing) are the perfect gift. If they play an instrument you could get them bits and pieces related to it (for example if your friend plays they guitar you could buy them a guitar pick and a necklace with a little guitar charm).

For the girl who loves...everything!

I picked up this tea cup desk organiser (it is meant to hold pens and other stationery) from Typo and then filled it up with little trinkets like earrings, a key chain and a lip balm. Other little things that you could put in there include nail polish, chocolates, bracelets and perfume samples.

For the girl who you don't really know
It's hard to buy presents for someone who you don't really know, but gifts that I turn to are candles/candle holders, chocolates, creams/shower gels and the plain old gift cards. Stores like Oxfam can also come in handy because even if the person receiving the present doesn't totally love your gift, you can at least know your money went to a good cause and wasn't completely wasted.

The hand creams below were $8 each and I think they are such lovely little gifts for the person you want to say thank you to but aren't really 'besties' with.

And if all else fails...
Wrap it up nicely and at least pretend that it is a good present by making it look pretty!

Behind the scenes of my 'Summer lipstick wardrobe' post!

L-R: A grumpy blogger's lip swatch, Attempt number 1,
Attempt number 2, Test photograph

So making my Summer lipstick wardrobe post was undoubtedly one of the most time consuming and challenging posts to make. I thought I would give you a bit of an insight into the Behind the scenes look at a beauty blog!

1. Taking the lip swatches
Having never really done many lip swatches before, I soon realised there was a reason! You wouldn't think it would be so hard, but after the fifth or sixth swatch your lips are starting to get chapped and gross from applying the lipstick and then wiping it off, followed by another and another and another. Your lips start to get stained with for or five different lipsticks which changes the colours of the others and it just gets all too hard! Taking the photos of my lip swatches took me forever.

2. Editing the lip swatches
The next part was to crop the photographs and then assemble them in the grid, numbering them and circling the numbers. This isn't terribly difficult, just once again very time consuming.

3. Determining which photo goes with which lipstick
So the next issue was trying to figure out which lipstick went with which photograph. Sure, some of them are obvious but others not so much. In the end I actually had to take some new photos because I just couldn't figure out which was which!

4. Photographing the lipsticks
This really shouldn't have been so hard. I needed them arranged so that you could see all of them at the same time, so I had to use a brick for a tier. The brick was filthy and covered in dirt and dried concrete so it was a real challenge to get the lipsticks to balance on the top. I then found that the background was too busy and was interfering with how the lipsticks were displayed so I had to get a cardboard box to stand in the background. That was hideous so I invested in some wrapping paper as a background. The weather was quite hot so all my lipsticks started melting when I was trying to photograph them. Of course, because that wasn't enough, then the wind decided to pick up and blow half of my lipsticks across the garden (thank God all but one had the lids on!). And then, you won't believe this - the battery ran out and memory card was full. Everything was against me. Everything.

So as you can see, writing that post was hard work but worth it in the end because I think it turned out beautifully! I hope you enjoyed both the Summer Lipstick Wardrobe post and this behind the scenes look!

My New Skin Multipurpose Balm - Olive and Lemon Myrtle & Olive and Lavender

I recently had the opportunity to try out the Multipurpose Balm from the brand My New Skin. Targeting particularly dry skin (like the feet and elbows) I knew it would be of great value to me because I get terribly dry patches of skin all year round and nothing seems to help it all that much.

The packaging is quite medicinal looking in my opinion. You can tell it's natural and organic just by looking at it! According to the packaging, it's 100% natural, which is reflected in the ingredient list of olive oil, extracts of burdock, chickweed, olive leaf, oregano and sheep sorrel, ocean salt, bees wax, fresh extracts of burnett and latana, macadamia wax and either lemon myrtle oil or lavender oil. Sounds pretty good to me!

When I first attempted to apply it I found that it was just oily. This is because I failed to actually scoop out any of the product itself and just took the oily residue sitting on the top! When I actually realised my mistake I found that I liked the product much better!

When I first touched it I immediately thought it felt like scooping my hands through a tub of the softest gelati. Honestly, it is the strangest texture ever, but I really like it! This can be massaged into the skin so easily, however use it sparingly because the slightest bit too much can turn your skin from being nicely moisturised to overly oily.

This, as is to be expected, has a super strong organic smell of plants and herbs. I prefer the smell of the Lemon myrtle as opposed to the lavender, but that is purely just personal taste. Both the lavender and lemon myrtle work in the same way as one another.

This product gives immediate relief to super dry skin. I find that it lasts about twelve hours before my skin starts to feel dry again, so it worked best for me to apply it morning and night. I've only been using it for two weeks but I feel as though it has some longer lasting results in terms of overall moisture and that my skin is less dry than what it was before I started using this.

I love that this is an Australian product that is natural and chemical free. Though I haven't tried it for all these purposes, it claims to be effective for a multitude of purposes like strengthening nails and cuticles and soothing sensitive skin including eczema, psoriasis and dermatitis.

This retails for $24.95 which I consider to be a very reasonable price considering you only need a tiny bit for each application and therefore it will last a very long time. You can purchase it from their website here as well as read a bit more about it.

My Summer Lipstick Wardrobe

Summer is finally here and that means bright and fun lipsticks! Because lip products are my favourite and I've acquired quite a collection, it was too much of a challenge to narrow it down to just a couple of lipsticks, so I ended up with a top 12 for summer!

1. Face of Australia Lip Quench Moisturising Lipstick in Lychee Crush
I swear basically every beauty blogger tried this lipstick out when it exploded into the beauty world at the beginning of this year. Though it's not flattering on everyone, if you can pull it off it does look gorgeous as a neutral lip.

2. Maybelline Baby Lips in Pink Lolita
Everyone needs a tinted lipbalm for summer, and this one by Maybelline ticks every box. Apart from the fact that mine is all mangled because it went through the wash, it is moisturising, gives a beautiful tint and feels wonderful on the lips.

3. Essence Lipstick in All About Cupcake
This is my go to your-lips-but-better shade because it is just the most perfect everyday pink shade I've ever come across. It's moisturising, not too sheer and not too pigmented and costs barely anything. This is actually one of my favourite lipsticks of all time.

4. Revlon Lip Butter in Sweet Tart
The Revlon lip butters need no introduction because almost everyone and their dog owns one. They're all round amazing, especially this gorgeous bright pink shade, Sweet Tart.

5. Rimmel London Kate Moss Spring Collection Lipstick in 16
I do love my pinks, and this warm toned soft pink suits just about everyone. It's everything you want a summery pink to be.

6. Revlon Colourstay Ultimate Suede Lipstick in Cruise Collection
Everyone needs a coral/orange toned shade for summer and that's where this lippie comes in. It's not too frightening for someone who perhaps isn't used to the more orange kind of shades and is flattering for all skintones.

7. Essence Stay With Me Long lasting lipgloss in Candy Bar
This is a gorgeous shade, a mix between coral and red that works wonderfully. As the name suggests, it is a long lasting gloss that makes me think of juicy fruits and lounging around the pool.

8. MAC Lipglass in Kumquat
I'm really not a fan of the formulation of this gloss, but who could walk past the tangerine goodness that this gloss has to offer. It's pigmented enough to be noticeable on the lips but still super wearable and flattering. Ahhh, if only you weren't so sticky!

9. Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Romantic
This is my staple red lip product and I wear it about once a week (impressive considering I can't wear anything like this to school!). From the moment I purchased it I knew it would be a favourite of mine, and with a formula as magical as this, this is the summery red shade everyone needs something like in their collection!

10. BYS Lipstick in Coral Kiss
Although the packaging is perhaps the worst I have ever come across for a lipstick, when it comes down to it this isn't all that bad. Sure, the formula's not amazing and it's a little hit and miss, for the dirt cheap price I paid for it it's not all that surprising. Nevertheless, for a pinky orange shade this looks lovely and when you're wearing it you would never know it was so darn cheap.

11. Revlon Colourstay Ultimate Suede Lipstick in Muse
This is a daring blue toned hot pink. I would normally associate this kind of shade with a more wintery type look, but let's be honest here, there really isn't a better time to pull this out than in the middle of summer!

12. Face of Australia Sheer Gloss Lip Crayon in Sundae
This was the first lip crayon I ever tried and I have been completely obsessed ever since. This is a neutral brown shade that is quite flattering and easy to work with. It's nothing special, which is exactly why it is so good.

Top: Shades 7-12
Bottom: Shades 1-6

As you can see, I'll be going crazy with these lipsticks these summer holidays! I would love to know what's in your summer lipstick wardrobe!

NOTD - French Nails

White polishes aren't known for their quality. When I think of a white polish I think of streaky, semi-translucent mess that is not worth bothering with, however I have wanted one forever because I love the look of simple french tips.

Priceline was having a sale on their Sally Hansen polishes (I don't recall what the exact sale was). I have never tried anything from Sally Hansen because there are so many cheaper and good quality alternatives, but when I saw that there was a white polish for $4 I decided to give it a shot in the hopes that it was quality, opaque and easy to work with.

So far I've only used it to create this NOTD but I love it. It's a perfect consistency and I only used one coat for each of the white nail tips. Topped off with Ulta's French Pink, I am so pleased with this simple but classy (and super easy to make) NOTD.

I would love to know what you think of it because so far I've had only positive responses to it (which is an absolute miracle because I can always find someone who hates my nail polish!

EOTD - Olive Garden

 So I've been given the opportunity to play with a ridiculously fancy camera for this upcoming holidays, and it is incredible. My camera, whilst it's pretty good for how much it cost, absolutely sucks when it comes to taking nice swatches and pictures of eyeshadow. Now that I've got a couple of months with this incredible camera I am going to make the most of it and do some eyeshadow tutorials, starting with a super simple look!

Because I have hazel eyes, I like to compliment them with olive green shadow however it can be a bit frightening to have green shadow all over the lid so I only use a tiny bit to really bring out my eyes. Combined with the shimmery brown shades and champagne in the inner corner, I think this is a beautiful flattering look that would suit just about anyone!




































Step 1: Use a shimmery mid toned brown cream eyeshadow as a base
Step 2: Intensify the crease with a darker matte brown shade. Lighten the inner corner with a shimmery champagne shade.
Step 3: Use a liquid liner to create a thin line on the upper lashes. Create a slight wing on the outer corner of the eye.
Step 4: Smudge an olive green shade into the lower lash line extending from the very inner corner of the eye to the outer corner, joining with the liquid liner.
Step 5: Line the waterline with a black pencil liner and apply one or two coats of mascara


What I used:

- Essence Eye Souffle in Pas Des Copper
- Essence Quattro Eyeshadow in To Die For
- Bloom Collecta Colour Eyeshadow Duo in Waikiki
- Face of Australia Liquid Liner in Black
- Maybelline One By One Mascara in Black Brown
- Models Prefer Pencil Liner in Black

It is a bit scary to post eyeshadow tutorials because I'm just a kid who has no idea what they're doing, but I think it looks pretty and isn't too over the top and could be worn by anyone!

I hope you liked this EOTD - if you did please let me know because I'll come up with some more creative ones too!

NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream - Istanbul

So even though I love living in Australia, when it comes to makeup sometimes we just can't compete with our American and British counterparts. Sure, we have some killer products from brands Face of Australia and Australis that are exclusive to Australians only, but it doesn't really make up for the gazillions of other brands we can't get hold of (or if we can, they are twenty times as expensive). 

However, sometimes a very special thing happens whereby a brand makes it to our shores, like when Essence came onto the Target scene, and we go crazy (as is to be expected). This happened very recently for me when NYX decided to make itself comfortable on the shelves of Target once again.

I eagerly went out swatching all the products and came home with this little beauty, the NYX Soft matte lip cream in Istanbul. This is one of those products that I have had my eye on for so damn long, practically since I started this blog, and now I finally own it is is just magical!

Though no amount of online photographs and swatches will ever be as good as swatching a product in real life, I knew this was the shade for me from the beginning. An incredibly beautiful warm toned pink, this is perhaps one of the most wearable and flattering shades that I own. 

In terms of the formulation, NYX wasn't wrong when they called it a soft matte lip cream. Soft, matte and creamy it most certainly is, though the addition of 'slightly drying' could have been included in the name just to make it that bit more accurate. This is of course to be expected with a matte lip product, but it is a little frustrating because I can't really wear it everyday because my lips get all gross and flaky! When you are actually wearing the product it is really comfortable and you can easily forget that you are even wearing anything. 

This does accentuate any dry areas you already have so a good lip balm needs to be lathered on prior to application. This is so easy and fuss free to apply, it literally requires no special attention. I find the lasting power of this to be amazing...once it has dried it withstands eating, drinking and general wear and tear for a couple of hours. 

This has a lovely fragrance, almost like a cake or baked goodies type smell. Having said that, it isn't too overpowering and therefore probably wouldn't bother someone who is sensitive to smells too much. 

I'm really fond of the simple but effective packaging. The tube is coloured in accordance to the product so if you own a whole heap of these you can find the shade you are looking for in an instant. The top of the wand is matte black (reflective of the nature of the lip product, obviously) and it comes with a doe foot applicator (my favourite). It also makes that satisfying 'thwop' sound when you pull the wand out of the tube at the right speed (does anyone know that sound I am talking about, it happens most often with sticky lipglosses!). 

Perhaps the only disappointing thing about this is that the prices are significantly higher than they are in America (of course, always is the way) which didn't occur with the introduction of Essence to Australia. Still, they're hardly expensive, it is more that I am just bitter about the fact that we have to pay so much more than everyone else! This cost $12.95.

I am so looking forward to purchasing some more products from NYX...I have a feeling this brand is going to be my new favourite!

I give this product 8/10.

Monthly Favourites - November

I know that basically everyone has said this, but seriously...it's December! What the heck? Amongst all the stress of end of year exams and never ending assignments I simply lost track of time and now I'm faced with December and I'm not ready for the end of the year!

Nevertheless, there is nothing I can do about it now except look back on my favourites for November! Now, I'm kind of cheating considering that two of these products were also my favourites for last month, but I guess that just shows how much I really love them!

Eyes: This month I definitely rediscovered an old favourite that was lurking in the back of my collection, the Face of Australia liquid liner in black. This is just so darn easy to use, is pigmented and lasts all day, it has no faults!


Lips: I was so very excited when I heard the news that NYX had landed on Australian shores, and I definitely haven't been disappointed! I purchased a soft matte lip cream in Istanbul and it is the most perfect, wearable pink shade ever. My only problem is that it is quite drying (which of course is a given when it comes to matte lip products) so I sadly haven't been able to wear it everyday, but I've given it a damn good shot!

Nails: No surprises here...yep, another red. I can't help myself. Red polish is my 'thing.' This time it's Revlon's top speed polish in Fire. Quick drying, excellent formula, beautiful shade, what more could you want?

Face: The Garnier BB cream has been my absolute saviour this month. I've been so exhausted, therefore sleeping in which results in basically no time to get ready for school. I can slap this on with such ease and it takes no time at all and makes the biggest difference to the appearance of my skin. I am so in love with the version for oily skin, I wear it every day.

Other: Lastly is a pair of shoes that I purchased this month, a beautiful white pair that I got from Target. I think they were about $15 and I just love them! Admittedly they're not the most comfortable but I only wear them when I'm hanging out and about, so I don't need to do much walking in them.

Well, they're my November favourites (which really are so much like my October ones!) and I feel that at this rate, before you know it my December ones will be out too! My goodness!

Haul - Sportsgirl, Colette, Temt, Target, Priceline & more

So I'm really not a spender but the combination of exams from hell and holidays kind of lead to, uh, this wonderful assortment of treats!






































First up, scarves. I purchased three scarves that I am absolutely in love with, for such cheap prices!
1. A black and white one with the word 'Love' printed on it from Sportsgirl for $5 down from $25
2. A black and white one with sugar skulls and hearts printed on it from Jay Jays for $2.50 down from $15
3. A blue/purple and white one patterned one from Jay Jays for $2.50 down from $15

Next I went to Colette and spotted a heart ring for only $2 down from $4, and a necklace that was initially $6 but on sale for $3. I typically purchase and wear silver jewellery so it is a nice change to go for something gold.

I then went to Target and found a simple black summery dress for $15. It really is nothing fancy but it's perfect for those days where you can't be bothered to plan an outfit but you still want to look nice. It can also be dressed up with a belt, colourful accessories and heels if need be. I particularly love the slight detail at the back.

I then found myself in Temt purchasing a shirt that was on sale from $20 down to $10. I wish I had owned this shirt when I was doing work experience in a Speech Pathology clinic because it is so classy...I love it!

A new 'super' Op-Shop opened up a couple of days ago so Mum and I went down to check it out. Apart from the fact that it is absolutely enormous, it was a little disappointing because it was quite expensive in comparison to other Op-shops. There were some beautiful shoes, but I'm not willing to spend $30 or $40 on secondhand shoes (even if they have only been worn once or twice)!

I did find some things though, a gorgeous gold bangle for $4 and a belt to wear with my black dress for $2.

Last but not least, I went to Priceline because I was absolutely dying to buy one of the Face of Australia Carnivale polishes. I bought the shade 'My Island home' for $6 (normally I wait for sales but I just couldn't this time!) and hopefully I'll get some more soon. I also saw that the Sally Hansen polishes were going out cheap so I got an Xtreme wear polish in the shade 'White On.'

I'm really happy that I splurged on these lovely things...hopefully I can hang out until the after Christmas sales when I have a bit more money to spend, and there are more amazing bargains!

Essence Colour and Go Nail polish - Do you speak love?

I go through phases where I'll be absolutely obsessed with a particular makeup product. I've just come out of an infatuation with cream blushes and now I've been wanting to pick up every nail polish I come into contact with, which is weird because I've never been a real polish girl. It does have something to do with the fact that companies are continually bringing out beautiful, affordable polishes that simply knock me off my feet (ahem, Face of Australia, cough cough) but still, I have a bad feeling I'll end up with an enormous, unused collection by the end of this...

Nevertheless, I am here with a completely seasonally inappropriate polish, 'Do you Speak love?' from Essence. I first spotted this on a beauty blog and decided that I was mine because it was gorgeous and I (surprisingly) owned nothing like it. At about $2 or $3 it is so affordable, and all my experiences with Essence polishes have been positive ones.

This is no different to any other Essence polish. It has a beautiful creamy, non-streaky formula and allows for complete opacity to be achieved in only two coats. I love the wider brush as it means the nail can be coated in two or so strokes.

This beautiful vampy ox-blood shade has catapulted itself into my favourites already and I get the feeling, despite that I should have worn this all through winter, that it will be on my nails all holidays!